One of the most insightful admittances that I have ever received was from an Ecology professor who began the semester with disclosing that he did not know everything, nor would he ever. He took the edge off of “new school year” jitters and brought himself down toward our (the students’) playing field. He personalized himself which made him very approachable and motivating. From the minute he put up his slide about simply being all that he could, I knew that that was who I wanted to be. Someone who my students would be able to talk to, whether it is about the winning goal they had kicked or the fact that they just can’t understand the material being taught. To be personable is to be kind and compassionate, a way in which every teacher ought to be. Some other factors that teachers should take into account is the responsibility of developing into a lifelong learner, an educator that links content to real life situations, and one that realizes the differences between all students.
After college I hope to always continue to be a lifelong learner. I would like to be someone who is not consumed with academia, but to make strides to participate in my scientific field. Some examples of how I will address this will be to seek work in laboratories or become part of authentic research projects. In doing this I will expand my knowledge, become highly credible and ease into the process of globalizing my students. It is and will always be my responsibility as a teacher to condone discovery, inquisitive and critical thinking skills. This shall be executed by way of lessons and projects that emphasize and promote inquiry. There are many ways in which this can be done; some examples include making predictions, observations and drawing conclusions. Some other ways include the sharing of ideas and thoughts with peers and teacher. In terms of globalization it will be an ambition of mine to teach knowledge surrounding current events. I will try to always relate an activity being taught to real life situations. Some of the best ways to do this would be to bring in articles from credible journals such as The Science Teacher or by using technology within the classroom in form of video or interactive websites. I feel this is important because it is the right of every student to know what is going on in the world around them, and as a teacher I feel it is part my responsibility to reveal some of these issues in an educational, hands-on, and unbiased approach.
Also, I am a huge advocate for teaching students with special needs. I fully believe that every child has a right to a free and appropriate education and that all teachers should work to the best of their ability to provide for everybody lessons and projects that will be graded and completed based on accurate comprehensive levels. I have extensive background in teaching students with several different disabilities; I hope to continue with this passion throughout my academic career. To teach children with special needs requires fearless effort to maintain equality for all. These students do not want to be treated differently, only with the same respect and "strictness" for rules as any other student. I believe that I truly uphold the qualities needed to make various connections with these students and can be a highly positive influence in their learning experiences.
My students will come first. If there is small progress or lack of enthusiasm class-wide, it will rest on my shoulders and I will do the best to rectify the situation. There are many ways in which teachers can make their classroom do some of the work for them as they strive to motivate. One prime example is classroom setting. If a teacher is seasoned in the Multiple Intelligences Theory they will know how to properly set up their classroom so that it will run like a perfectly oiled wheel. The Multiple Intelligences Theory is based upon the fact that all people exhibit different learning styles. The three main ways in which students learn is through hearing instruction (auditory), seeing written explanation or drawing and labeling to learn (visual learners) and lastly when students participate in hands on learning (kinesthetic learning). By setting up the classroom in a way that disperses the different learners throughout is beneficial to groups of students as a whole. Having knowledge of this theory will greatly influence my teaching methods. I will strive to make sure that every avenue is exploited so that every student will be able to work to their full potential.
Besides teaching, it will also be my responsibility to ensure order and safety within the classroom. Therefore, classroom policies will be handed out during the first week of classes and will be posted for all to see at all times. Students will be reminded of the rules when needed and reprimanded if they are severely broken or ignored. Also, I will make it a point to reward those using correct safety techniques and be sure to hand out plenty of positive reinforcements. In doing this I hope for students to understand the importance of order and safety, especially in a science classroom. From this I will hope to establish a norm of mutual respect within my class.
In sum, upon graduation I plan on taking with me the long years of education that the University of Rhode Island has provided, as well as my sense of understanding, patience, and compassion. I will work eagerly to reach my goals of becoming a personable teacher, highly qualified in terms of participating in authentic projects, and in making sure that I relate what I am teaching to real life situations. Students need to make connections with what they are learning to the world around them to find content interesting and of importance- that is where I will be aware of global issues and touch upon them within the classroom. And in doing all of this I will continue to be attentive to the fact that every student learns differently, whether they have special needs or are considered part of the regular education system, and will use several modality techniques in response.
After college I hope to always continue to be a lifelong learner. I would like to be someone who is not consumed with academia, but to make strides to participate in my scientific field. Some examples of how I will address this will be to seek work in laboratories or become part of authentic research projects. In doing this I will expand my knowledge, become highly credible and ease into the process of globalizing my students. It is and will always be my responsibility as a teacher to condone discovery, inquisitive and critical thinking skills. This shall be executed by way of lessons and projects that emphasize and promote inquiry. There are many ways in which this can be done; some examples include making predictions, observations and drawing conclusions. Some other ways include the sharing of ideas and thoughts with peers and teacher. In terms of globalization it will be an ambition of mine to teach knowledge surrounding current events. I will try to always relate an activity being taught to real life situations. Some of the best ways to do this would be to bring in articles from credible journals such as The Science Teacher or by using technology within the classroom in form of video or interactive websites. I feel this is important because it is the right of every student to know what is going on in the world around them, and as a teacher I feel it is part my responsibility to reveal some of these issues in an educational, hands-on, and unbiased approach.
Also, I am a huge advocate for teaching students with special needs. I fully believe that every child has a right to a free and appropriate education and that all teachers should work to the best of their ability to provide for everybody lessons and projects that will be graded and completed based on accurate comprehensive levels. I have extensive background in teaching students with several different disabilities; I hope to continue with this passion throughout my academic career. To teach children with special needs requires fearless effort to maintain equality for all. These students do not want to be treated differently, only with the same respect and "strictness" for rules as any other student. I believe that I truly uphold the qualities needed to make various connections with these students and can be a highly positive influence in their learning experiences.
My students will come first. If there is small progress or lack of enthusiasm class-wide, it will rest on my shoulders and I will do the best to rectify the situation. There are many ways in which teachers can make their classroom do some of the work for them as they strive to motivate. One prime example is classroom setting. If a teacher is seasoned in the Multiple Intelligences Theory they will know how to properly set up their classroom so that it will run like a perfectly oiled wheel. The Multiple Intelligences Theory is based upon the fact that all people exhibit different learning styles. The three main ways in which students learn is through hearing instruction (auditory), seeing written explanation or drawing and labeling to learn (visual learners) and lastly when students participate in hands on learning (kinesthetic learning). By setting up the classroom in a way that disperses the different learners throughout is beneficial to groups of students as a whole. Having knowledge of this theory will greatly influence my teaching methods. I will strive to make sure that every avenue is exploited so that every student will be able to work to their full potential.
Besides teaching, it will also be my responsibility to ensure order and safety within the classroom. Therefore, classroom policies will be handed out during the first week of classes and will be posted for all to see at all times. Students will be reminded of the rules when needed and reprimanded if they are severely broken or ignored. Also, I will make it a point to reward those using correct safety techniques and be sure to hand out plenty of positive reinforcements. In doing this I hope for students to understand the importance of order and safety, especially in a science classroom. From this I will hope to establish a norm of mutual respect within my class.
In sum, upon graduation I plan on taking with me the long years of education that the University of Rhode Island has provided, as well as my sense of understanding, patience, and compassion. I will work eagerly to reach my goals of becoming a personable teacher, highly qualified in terms of participating in authentic projects, and in making sure that I relate what I am teaching to real life situations. Students need to make connections with what they are learning to the world around them to find content interesting and of importance- that is where I will be aware of global issues and touch upon them within the classroom. And in doing all of this I will continue to be attentive to the fact that every student learns differently, whether they have special needs or are considered part of the regular education system, and will use several modality techniques in response.